Frostmane Hold, The
Overview The Frostmane Hold is a troll-only RP guild on the Horde side of Defias Brotherhood. The guild is independent In Character, and hence doesn't have any allegiance with Horde or Alliance. The guild's current leader both IC and OOC is the Primal Zorita. The guild aims to create a RP experience of a small, closed community and hence our members are rarely seen traveling outside their own lands. The guild is experimenting with a partly pre-written plot that sometimes effect the experiences and events the guild's characters face. This makes the officer team act as storytellers, making the guild experience slightly closer to pen & paper RP. Our target is not to restrict the roleplay, but rather enhance it and offer possible new paths which our members can explore and from this, develop their characters further. The officer team has also developed a lore system which the guild follows seeing we find it unlikely the frostmane tribe would follow the same Loa as for example, the Amani that live on the other side of the world. The Frostmane Hold Loa are based on local fauna, much like the gurubashi Loa are based on jungle creatures. People interested in joining the guild should apply on our forums , where you will find instructions as to how to do so. Tribal life The Frostmane Hold, being the base camp for the frostmane tribe is where the guild lends its name from. Located in the cold mountains of Dun Morogh, the Frostmane Hold offers a possibility for members of the tribe to proove their worth. For this reason, young trolls often travel from more distant locations of the land, such as from Shimmer Ridge. Busy and lively, the Frostmane Hold is the place to be if one wants to find a mentor, a mate or submit themselves in defending the tribe against outside enemies (mainly the dwarves) or just to hear the latest news. The rich merchant's wives keep themselves busy by spreading rumours and are usually more than happy to share their latest insight or observations. Tamed wolves walk around the place freely, sometimes even entering the huts where the trolls live. Hundreds of years spent in the demanding conditions of the northern lands have forged a lasting trust and connection between the trolls and their wolves. The tribe's myths support this -the main Loa of the tribe are wolves. Tall tales and legends are told around the campfire at night when the tribe gathers and these myths have become somewhat of facts within the tribe. Superstitious and isolated, the frostmane tribe rarely leaves its lands. Sometimes words from strange events that happen in the outside world reach the tribe but the trolls mostly dismiss them as humbug- what matters more is ensuring the tribe survives; teaching the young, following the will of the Loa. The Seers, menders and hexers who practice voodoo rather than spend their time scouting the lands are usually the ones on which to turn for advise in spiritual matters. Although often secretive, they rarely deny to aid or teach the tribe -at least as long as the payment is agreed upon. The tribe's leaders names date back to ancient times, or so the elders claim. Although the tribe has been mostly ruled by males due to their superior strength (a chieftain must always be challenged by a duel) some females have also been seen occupying the High Seat. Due to the ice trolls' brutal and often even violent nature, hierarchy is something that the young trolls learn to follow at a very young age. Generally elders are respected for their knowledge and hot-headed youngsters berserking away on the village square are swiftly reminded of their standing by the older and more able trolls. It is a custom that the chieftain's word is the law although history has seen a few rather bloody rebellions. Travelers keen to test the hospitality of the tribe should bear in mind that the frostmanes are fierce protectors of their homes and might possibly see strangers as intruders, attacking them. As the frostmane trolls are accustomed to the harsh condition of their homelands and know their way around it is then almost certain that they will notice the intruder/s before the intruder has any idea that trolls are around. Riding their massive wolves back to the Frostmane Hold or by using other methods of communicating (for example imitating beasts, most commonly wolves) the tribe ensures the word gets around fast. As the frostmane tribe has not found interest to join the ranks of the Horde, it should be also mentioned that they have not abandoned their ancient tradition to practice cannibalism, often eating their slain enemies raw. Religion and Myths The guild follows its own, unique lore. Respecting the already existing troll lore available, a small but effective team of brainstormers put on their thinking caps and came out with an alternative creation myth, lore and tribal beliefs. As the explanation would be too vast, we will merely list the Loa as follows. The main Loa, or high Loa, who each hold a Seat of Power are called Vrakun, Syama Shvala, Akt and Bok'Ogo. A lesser Loa is called Shi'raka, but she is never worshiped openly due to her deceptive nature. Guild ranks As the Frostmane Hold is based on tribal RP, our ranks reflect this. Every member that gets to be our full member can choose their own rank. For example- each rank is supposed to describe the character's abilities- fishermen, cooks and so forth would be Tribesmen, and the more aggressive fighting types fit well in the rank of Berserker. Current guild ranks are: The Primal (guild leader) Is a rank reserved for the tribe's leader called the Primal. She lives in a hut in the Frostmane Hold, the main city of the Frostmane trolls with a large white lion called Sabala. Many strange rumors are spoken about the Primal in hushed voices but no one seems to know who exactly she is. Though often masked and spending time on her own, the Primal seems to be surprisingly well informed of the happenings of the tribe. So far, no one has dared to challenge her place as the righteous leader of the tribe. Wolf Sister (officer) Out of character, this is the current rank for the out of character officer for the hold. In Character, it is viewed as a respectable rank to be on such terms with the Primal. Our current "Wolf Sister" acts as an advisor and helper to the Primal. The guild currently only has one Wolf Sister, Shyrendora. Hexer Hexers inflict curses or hexes on others as well as capture spirits and tie them to objects. Though they usually direct their attention to the enemies of the tribe, they sometimes engage in tribal politics or social life. A jealous troll may try and beg a hexer to make his neighbor's hair fall off, or to inflict other misfortune. Powerful hexers are feared by others but they are rarely "evil". Syama Shvala's followers can choose a hexer's path, inflicting diseases and death, hence feeding the black wolf. Shi'raka's secret chosen ones also make excellent hexers. Loving chaos and delighting themselves in owning material possessions, these magpie-like mischievous trolls never show their true face but can cheat others in pretending their powers are something else than what they truly are, swapping their services to precious items. Also Akt's devoted servants can be hexers, unveiling new ways to communicate with the spirits, loving the intellectual challenges this profession can bring. Mender Menders are the healers of the tribe. They specialize in lifting curses, brewing healing potions and studying various herbs. A well-learnt mender is a well respected member of the community. The mender helps new cubs in the world as well as reliefs the parting of the old and the sick. The menders, generally good at heart, have a will to help others and have a great respect for spirits where they often borrow their knowledge or powers. This does not mean that they would be stupid, or that they would heal or help others without any kind of payment. One should also remember, that if a character keeps on asking for spirits or ancestors to aid, they at some point have to pay for the help or face the wrath of the other world. A well-known member is the village midwife, Amatai. Seer : "Amatai limped through the thick snow that covered the ground, using her ever present walking stick to brace herself. Her head was bare against the coldness of the night, her black hair, scattered with grey here and there, was pulled back, in a no nonsense braid. She grumbled to herself , using her free hand to pull the wolfskin cloak tighter around her shoulders. The white fur making a stark contrast with her hair. She gazed up into the blackness of the moonless night sky, cursing to herself. Dark Moon. A bad sign." Amatai: Night of the black wolf Seers are blessed with the gift of divination or other mystic powers that grant them knowledge that is hidden from others. They can receive visions, read cards or observe the surroundings in order to find answers to every-day life problems. To be a Seer can be a burden, because some things are better left to be unseen. Divination is a fickle art and often their visions do not come true, but act more like guidelines or paths. A true Seer realizes this and knows that every choice a troll makes forges their destiny. Examples of Seers are Skarja and Serekh. Blade Master Unlike the Berserker, Blade Masters are trolls who coordinate their attacks with cunning thought and precision. Although they can be seen as not as powerful as a Berserker, it doesn't mean they are any less deadly. Blade Masters have trained themselves thoroughly to what they feel is perfection. Before battle, they make sure to think their tactics through, and are usually there to help inform the tribe of what will be going on. Blade Masters do not "lose" themselves to the battle, they are in complete control of their actions. The tribe's previous leader, Varjin, was a noted blademaster. Berserker : "We didn't care, for we sang Shvala's song and with our mind's eye we saw the skies turning dark as our Sister ran with us, for she was the black wind that reaped the leaves of the trees. We sang, throughout the cold and hunger, screaming the wordless howl as we sped towards the battlefield- Ah-Wa-Sha Shi'ka Syama Shvala... The snow crushing underfoot, our teeth drinking the bone's marrow, sweet as juice and the agonized screams of our prey sounding a melody to our slaughter as we fed, parting tissue and vein, flesh and skin with the fading memory of our ancestors whispering deep in our ears and our faces split and we smiled a crimson as the storms raged in the sky, we sang our wordless howl, higher and high for the blood lust of the horizon that froze our Brother's enemy, froze their very core-" -Unknown follower of Syama Shvala Having mastered weapon skills of various kinds, the berserkers are known for their fiery temper and brutal attacks in battle. Many who devote their lives to serve Syama Shvala , the Black wolf, embrace the life of a berserker. These trolls can go to a terrifying battle rage on times of war provided their faith is strong enough. Their war cry chills the blood of friends and enemies alike for it comes from the underworld -straight from the Halls of the Loa of Death. There are tales of these trolls (excellent material to keep wild children from wondering off on their own), and even a few living legends walking the lands of Dun Morogh. A very well trained Berserker may be able to harness their blood rage, but many lose themselves to the rage and become brutal killing machines, to foe and friend alike. It takes alot of skill, concentration and training to be able to control their rage to think on the battle field. Berserking is the way of becoming a powerful killing machine, at the cost of thinking their attacks through. The Berserkers can have a down-side for them too. They can have problems controlling their temper and this can lead to trouble, especially at a younger age when the older and wiser are sure to remind them of their standing within the tribe. Some berserkers are socially rather stupid or even crude, not really caring to make friends. Snowstrider Snowstriders are scouts and hunters, ensuring the safety of the troll villages. They gather information on the surroundings and keep watch. They can also be loners or hermits, who like to spend time outside the busy life of the Frostmane Hold. The Snowstriders are also the trolls who tame wolves for the tribe or choose wolves from the wild to mate with the tamed ones in order to keep the animals healthy and strong. (Note that frostmanes ride a wolf.) For a currency-loving troll, this can be a very good source of income -promising young wolves are extremely valuable and a troll's mount is always a status symbol -Especially for the males. Tribesman : "Later that afternoon, the group of fishermen returned to the village, wide-eyed and waving their arms. The ruckus caused the tribe to come out from their huts and to stop their labor. Soon a large crowd was gathered around the fishermen. Smenk'ara and Amri were watching from behind a particularly large wolf, snickering as they saw the males present their miraculous catch of the day to the tribe in slurred words -the magical rabbit that wore a hat and a robe that they had found had swam in their nets. The eldest of the fishermen's wives strode closer, with a angry spring to her step. She had her hands on her hips, but as soon as she got close enough she started to yell and raised her rolling pin threateningly." -Smenk'ara & Amri in: Troll Play Tribesmen are the every-day trolls of the tribe. They can be fishermen, drunkards, trappers, gatherers, gamblers, cooks, artists or just other ordinary folk. The majority of the tribe consists of these trolls. Young trolls are automatically tribesmen, because no troll's gifts are recognized officially before they are of age. To be a tribesman doesn't mean that your troll would be somehow lesser than the others. Not all characters want to be recognized for their abilities. The good-natured Bear Loa Bok'Ogo is popular amongst the tribesmen as well as is the tribe's main Loa, Vrakun . Whelpie (trial) The whelpie rank is our trial rank period and is never considered to be a IC rank. Links Our guild forum Our recruitment thread on DB forums Our recruitment on DB RP forums Credits Screenshot(s) by Varjin of the Frostmane Hold. Illustration(s) by Zorita of the Frostmane Hold. Any unauthorized copying, lending etc. prohibited. Guild rank explanations courtesy of the officer team of the Frostmane Hold. Lore development: Zorita, Shyrendora, Varjin, Drukha. Category:Horde Guilds Category:Trolls Category:Guilds Category:Frostmane Hold, the Category:Loa